Piston-ring squeezer



L. V. CLAIRE. PISTON RING SQUEEZ'ER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19, 1920.

1,335,658, Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

LOUIS VINCENT CLAIRE, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNGR TO VICTORYRING- COIVIPRESSOR COMPANY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OFMICHIGAN.

Application filed January 19, 1920.

J?) (ZZZ ILil-Olll it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs ViNonNr CLAIRE, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvelncnts inPiston-Ring Squeezers; andI do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the inven tion. such as willenable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to piston ring squeezers and is particularlyconcerned with improvements in the structure shown in my pendingapplication, Serial No. 316,314, filed August 9, 1919. Theseimprovements are directed to the attachment of the operating handles tothe contractible band with which they are associated, whereby not onlyis the cost of manufacture reduced but the points in the device wherethe greatest strain comes in operation are strengthened and reinforcedso as to make the device much more durable and eflicient. My inventionis directed to the attainment of these ends as will appear fully asunderstanding of the invention is had from the following descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in. which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the piston ring squeezer.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the permanentattachment of one of the operating handles to one end of the band.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation of the end of the detachable handle,and i Fig. 41 is an end view thereof.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different views ofthe drawing.

The band 1 is made of thin sheet metal, preferably soft spring steel,and is adapted to take a substantially circular form, one end 2 thereofcoming within the other end 3, with the ends overlapping as shown inFig. 1. From the end 2 of the band for a distance equaling approximatelyone-half of the length thereof, spaced apart upper and lower hooks l areformed integral with the band and bent outwardly as shown and areadapted to come one above and the other be low the upper and lower edgesof the end 3 of the band as shown.

Operating handles 5 and 6 cross each PISTON-RING SQUEEZER.

Specification of Letters Patent. .Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

Serial No. 352,396.

other and are pivotally connected at the crossing point as shown at 7.The inner extension 5 to the handle 5 is permanently connected to theend 3 of the band. The means of connection comprises a block 8 of metalwhich seats between the. upper and lower flanges of the extension 5* ofhandle 5, said part 5 of the handle being of channellike form. The blockis permanently secured to the web of a channel, preferably by electricalspot welding, though any other suitable permanent means of connectionmay be used. Integral with the block and extending beyond the end of thepart 5*" of handle 5 is a head 9 from each end of which a pintle 10projects. Tangs 11 integral with the band at the end thereof are turnedaround said pintles and back upon the band, being permanently attachedby rivets 11 as shown.

The extension 6 to the other handle 6 is likewise of channel-like formand a block 12 of metal is seated between the flanges thereof andpermanently connected to the web of the same using the same means usedto connect block 8 to the Web of the extension 5. Block 12 is likewiseprovided with a head 13 which is longer than the head 9 and from whichshort cylindrical projections 14 extend. The length of the head 18 isslightly less than the distance between the hooks of any pair of hooks4t and the projections 14 are adapted to come against any of the pairsof hooks whereby on bringing the outer ends ofthe handles 5 and 6 towardeach other the band is contracted as is obvious.

The blocks 8 and 12- with the integral heads 9 and 13 thereon areofgreat strength and rigidity and when electrically welded to theextensions 5 and 6 of the handles, make a very strong and rigidconstruction which is fully capable of withstanding any strains whichmay be placed on the device. As described in my prior application towhich reference has been made, this band may be placed around a pistonand rings in the grooves thereof and the rings compressed to lie flushwith the outer surfaces of the are heavy, while the pressure which is exerted on the ends of handlesfi and'G and which is multiplied by reasonof the longer leverage of those parts of the handle to which the poweris applied, all make it necessarythat the connection of the inner endsof the handles to the band shall be one capable of sustaining heavystrains. The construction defined is one fully capable of withstandingsaid strains indefinitely. Moreover, the handles with this constructionmay be readily and cheaply made entirely of sheet metal in shape for theready attachment of the blocks 8 and 12. This reduces the cost ofmanufacture over what'would be necessary if the handles with said blocksand attached parts were made integral either from sheet metal or as amalleable casting. The construction described has had extensivepractical use and has fully demonstrated its value. The invention isdefined in the appended claims and I consider myself entitled to allmodifications falling in the scope thereof.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a clamping band adapted to graspthe periphcry of a piston or piston ring, said band having ends adaptedto overlap and provided with a plurality of pairs of spaced apart hookslocated from one end of the band to approximately its middle portion, apair of handles pivotally connected together, the inner end of eachhandle having channel-like formation, a block located between thefianges at the inner end of one handle and permanently secured to theweb thereof, a head on said block provided with a pintle at each endthereof, tangs formed at one end of the band and turned around saidpintles and permanently secured to the band, and a block'similarlylocated between the flanges of the inner end of the opposite handle andattached to the web of said handle, said block being provided with anintegral head formed with projections at the ends adapted to engage witha pair of hooks on said band, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair ofpivotally connected levers each at its inner end having channel-likeformation, a block located be tween the flanges and against the web ofeach of said channel shaped inner ends of the handles, said block beingpermanently secured in place, a clamping band adapted to take a circularform, one of said blocks being pivotally connected to the outer end ofsaid clamping band, means on the band positionedat a plurality of spacedapart points in the length thereof, and means formed at the outer end ofthe other of said blocks for detachably engaging with said means on theband to contract the band, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LOUIS VINCENT CLAIR-E,

